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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · patient · bank · fork · squash · straw · cabinet · safe

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. squash — to crush
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com